Shadow Dance
by If Love Were Flowers
Summary: The Great War has been going on too long. Desperate to end it, Snowfall of RiverClan bravely declares that she would do anything to end the fighting. Even be the mate of the enemies leader.
1. Prologue

**Flower is helping herself. She is now whipping her ass if she doesn't update. And so, to help her get into the rhythem, has decided to post a new story. Flower has no idea where the title came from but she likes it, and she likes the plot to this story. She also likes the name Snowfall. It is prettyful. And she likes reviews. Loves reviews. So, review, and make Flower happy. Because a happy Flower makes goodiful chapters.**

**Title: Shadow Dance**

**Author: If Love Were Flowers**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

**Summary: Snowfall of RiverClan only wishes to end the war between RiverClan and ShadowClan, a war which had begun long before she was born. She is willing to give everything for peace. Willing to do anything. When a message from StarClan comes to both Clan Medicine Cats, a terrifying plan to end the fighting is revealed. She must tie herself and have the the kits of a cat she does not love, the dark deputy of ShadowClan, Ebonyclaw. **

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

**POV - Crowflight**

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

_I hate war. I hate the stench of blood. I hate the burning of wounds. I hate the livid look in some eyes and the terrified look in others. I hate violence in general. But I have never told anyone of these thoughts._

_A war is a plethora of battles, battles that are said to be won and lost. But in the end, there is no one who wins the battle. The only things gained from it are losses. If you lose one warrior and already you have lost a friend, a child, a parent, a brother or sister, a loyal soldier who died for your selfish reasons._

_Not because he wasn't strong enough to fend off his attack. Not because he was too brave to stop fighting. Your fault, because you were the one who sent him into battle._

_War seized the world long ago, and in a short time, it was said to have destroyed two other clans that lived alongside us. Now only two clans remain, ShadowClan and RiverClan, with far to much land between us. We fight for the moors. We fight for the forests. We fight for the river that led up to our sacred Moonpool and for the lands beyond the Thunderpath._

_If only we believed in words instead of war. If only we could speak to each other instead of fight with tooth and claw. If we could believe in the kindness of others, be courteous, to respect boundaries. Perhaps then we could build a world in which there was only happiness and peace. Perhaps then we would see how silly fighting was, and we could tear down the walls between clans._

_But in war, there are no beliefs._

_There is no kindness. There is no mercy. You kill or are killed, hunt or are hunted. If you fall you cannot pray to get back up, you must summon your own strength to bring your paws beneath you. If you forget the reason to fight on you quickly substitute it with vengeance for those who fell and did not rise again. You continue to fight, fight until your heart gives out, and when you die, you do not die in honor; you only fuel the blaze that is war and send more of your friends and family to their death._

_But no matter what I believed and hated, I was born into the life of war. I was born to lead my comrades into the fight, and some to their deaths. I was born to perhaps one day be the leader of ShadowClan, and continue this horrible war. I was born to one day kill. Kill enemies along with my friends._

_But now I dug my claws into the ground, trying to keep myself from retching before the fighting even started. Around me warriors shifted, apprehensive for the fight to come. Next to me my sister, Nightwind, stirred, sensing my nervousness. She turned her golden eyes to me, but I looked away, back to my paws. With a soft sigh she drew close to me, pressing her lean body against my own. I relaxed under her touch, though a shiver of fear still haunted me._

_"Are you ready, Crowflight?" another voice whispered to me, that of my last remaining brother, Ebonyclaw. He too pressed his fur into my own to comfort me, his shape completely different from Nightwinds, with powerful and taut, a true son of his father. I gulped and he leaned closer to me, whispering softly in my ear, "Make our father proud."_

_The leaves of the bush we hid in stirred, and another cat neared, my sister's guard, a big black-and-white tabby tom with yellow eyes. He glanced behind himself, checking on a few other warriors who were restless, then turned to Nightwind._

_"They're coming from downstream," he whispered in his husky voice, "Give us the signal." My brother nodded, turning away from him, and Nightwind pulled away from me to be by her guard, who pressed into her smaller form and twined his tail with hers. Ebonyclaw tensed and everyone went silent as we heard the patrol near._

_It was a large patrol, six warriors and two apprentices, walking stiffly as if they knew we were coming. Ebonyclaw lifted his tail and Nightwind tensed, and then, with a tiny flick, we rushed from the bushes._

_And the same horrible chaos ensued._

_I stumbled through the fighting, dodging attacks as well as I could. In the darkness I could not tell who was who, and I suspected that everyone else couldn't as well. Nightwind was skillfully avoiding the claws of a big gray warrior, though he to was fast enough to avoid hers, while Ebonyclaw threw his opponent to the ground and gave him a fierce bite to the collar._

_A bloody figure stumbled into me, collapsing in the grass as I turned to her. Her green eyes were wide with terror, and it took me longer then a moment to realize that she was afraid I was going to kill her. I felt my heart pound in my chest, I felt like the entire world could hear it. I looked from side to side, Nightwind and Ebonyclaws eyes were fixed on me, watching what I would do next._

_Someone screamed and I saw a rush of ginger flying towards me, but Nightwinds guard came between us, battering the other warrior backwards. I looked down to the wounded warrior, there were tears forming in her eyes._

_"Please don't," she whispered, blood bubbling from her mouth, spilling down her ginger-brown chest, "Please don't."_

_"Kill her now, Crowflight!" someone yowled from nearby._

_I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. She felt my terror. She knew that I didn't want to do it. I narrowed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were forming in my own eyes. _

_It was a _life_, who was I to steal it from her?_

_"Do it!" another voice snarled, and I closed my eyes, trying to not look at her._

_"I'm sorry," I whisper, "I'm so sorry."_

_She lets out a sob and I lunge forward, my teeth meeting her neck. _

_And at that moment, i died._

_A shudder runs through her body, and a moment later she is limp. Her blood no longer flows through her body. I pull away, I feel the blood dripping down my face, I taste it, and I smell it in my breath. I turn, stumbling away, horrified at what I had just done._

_Ebonyclaw gives a yowl, racing over to me and blundering me forward. We all disappear into the night, returning to the camp where I am praised by my father for taking my first life._

_But inside I am hollow. Inside I hate myself. I do not go to our Medicine Cat to get treated for my wounds; I curl up in my nest, trying to go to sleep. But whenever I close my eyes, I am back on the battlefield, I am standing in front of the ginger-brown she-cat with green eyes. I relive the shudder that passes through her body and into my own. I try to sleep. But I wake up as soon as the moon is in the sky, ice cold and crying._

_I feel my sister stir close to me, and she leans her head over my smaller form, resting it on my flank. I continue to cry, and my brother soon awakens, scooting closer and wrapping his longer form around me. I am surrounded by warmth. But I am still ice cold._

_Nightwind begins to lick my ears gently, and I slowly begin to relax. It is a sign of what is to come, we all see that._

_From that moment on I cannot blink without seeing the tear-filled green eyes of the she-cat I killed. I cannot help but see her in every prey I hunt. My heart tears into smaller bits with every heartbeat and breath i take and she doesn't__, and not even my siblings can sew it back together._

_My wounds heal except for my leg, which I keep hidden from everyone. I feel the horrible sting of the wound is atonement for the life I took. But it isn't enough. The wound grows worse and worse. I am racked with a fever I am struggling to hide. I am always cold now. I am cursed. I am scared._

_I have not slept in a moon, i have given up trying. Every night I go to the center of the camp, abandoning the warmth of my siblings bodies. ShadowClan cats are never alone. When their parents are not with them they are always with other kits, comforted by the feeling of others around them. But i cannot find comfort in that anymore. I cannot bring myself to draw to the comfort of touch. I feel as though i should never be comforted again._

_StarClan, please take me now. I don't deserve to live. Not after I took a life that wasn't mine._

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

**It's a short chapter, i'll admit that much. The next one will be longer (and in a different POV)**

**So, now, besides the length, you see that little purepley-blue button in the corner of the screen?**

**Click it.**

**Nooooow, tell me what you think!**

**:3**

**pretty please?**

**pretty pretty please?**


	2. Chapter One

****

**Flower updated!! And she's still working on the chapters to Everlasting Darkness. In fact, she's re-writing the entire third chapter. Lucky her :P Anyways, longer chapter, different POV, this one is going to be used through the whole story. So, enjoy! And review!**

**Title: Shadow Dance**

**Author: If Love Were Flowers**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

**Summary: Snowfall of RiverClan only wishes to end the war between RiverClan and ShadowClan, a war which had begun long before she was born. She is willing to give everything for peace. Willing to do anything. When a message from StarClan comes to both Clan Medicine Cats, a terrifying plan to end the fighting is revealed. She must tie herself and have the the kits of a cat she does not love, the dark deputy of ShadowClan, Ebonyclaw.**

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

**POV - Snowfall**

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the reeds, into the now-silent battlefield. The pebbles between my paws slipped, and I stumble in blood. But it wasn't only under my paws – it was everywhere, staining every rock, every reed, the stream still clogged and dyed red with blood and bodies. The acidic whisper wafted into my mouth, I freeze and my legs start to tremble, I do not want to take another step forward.

"Snowfall," a voice says softly to my right, I turn, looking into the dark green eyes of Foxclaw.

"You don't have to be here," he said, quickly pulling away, turning his eyes to look over the other warriors pulling bodies that belong to us out of the river, "You don't have to see this."

Foxclaw had been assigned by my father to be my personal guard when he was an apprentice and I was a kit. I never recalled a time I was injured with him nearby, and hardly remembered a time when he wasn't by my side. He was strong and good-looking, with mahogany-colored fur and white paws. But now his handsome features were ruined now with a look of concern, concern for _me_.

I prepare to answer when a hiss comes from nearby. At once Foxclaw is between the conflict and I, prepared to take any blow to save my life. I look around him in time to see a young warrior jumping away from a mangled body, a mangled body that was still alive.

Without thinking I step around Foxclaw, towards the wounded warrior, and my guard comes in step with me, a stern look overtaking the concern that was on his face before.

"Not this on, Snowfall," he meows, stepping in my path, "He's one of the Heirs."

One of the ShadowClan Heirs, one of Drystar's children.

"He's still alive," I say softly to Foxclaw, stepping around him again, "He can still feel." Foxclaw steps in front of me again, however. I can feel annoyance prickle at my spine and quickly shove it away, I was going to do this whether Foxclaw liked it or not.

"He's an _heir_," Foxclaw said again, as if he thought it didn't sink in the first time, "The brother of one who killed your brother and your mother. The very one that struck down Robinheart in the last battle as she begged for her life, Heir _Crowflight_."

"He has a life," I snapped finally, startling Foxclaw, then returned to my distant reserve, turning my focus back to the Heir, "He deserves comfort."

Heir Crowflight was lying half in the river, his black pelt sticky and spiked with blood. He was young, younger then I was, only slightly older then Robinheart when she had died and she had been made a warrior two moons early because all of ours were dying.

He was lying so till I wondered if he was already dead, until I saw the faintest rise and fall in his flank, and his eyes flickered open when I neared. The golden eyes that all ShadowClan cats had fixed on me, and for a moment I was captured, caught in golden eyes that glowed like small suns. But Heir Crowflight quickly looked away, his eyes gazing across the stream, to his territory.

This warrior was still the age of an _apprentice_, and he was _dying_.

I hesitated, but took another step forward, until I was standing directly next to him. I sat down, but Crowflight still refused to look at me, a shiver running through him instead. Slowly, very slowly, I reached out a paw to touch his flank, but quickly withdrew. He was burning, as hot as sun-warmed stones. Crowflight flinched as well, pulling away from me.

"You're sick," I said quietly, "What were you doing in battle if you were sick?"

"I don't deserve to live," he whispered softly, "I can't help but relive that moment. I see her in everything I do. I hate it. I hate myself. I hate war."

"What moment are you reliving?" I ask , lying down next to him. Crowflight flinches as my fur brushes his again, and pulls away. His movements startle me.

RiverClan and ShadowClan differ greatly in beliefs. We know that emotions are weakness, and that they can easily be used against us by an enemy. But ShadowClan thought that emotions were a sign of strength, a sign of confidence. They believe that little signs of affection were weakness, and that to be stronger, you must show every emotion that you are feeling. Being a ShadowClan cat, I did not expect Heir Crowflight to draw away from touch, one of the most important factors of emotion for a ShadowClan cat.

"The moment I killed her," he said, "The moment I first killed."

"What was her name?" I said, drawing closer to him, despite the protest in myself and in him. I slowly ease my paws under his head, and behind me I feel Foxclaw stiffen. He knows who Heir Crowflight is talking about. Robinheart. He had been there when she died.

"I don't know," Heir Crowflight confessed, "But she was younger then me. And she was so scared. And…" he let out a small mewl, "And I can't close my eyes without being back at that moment! I haven't slept. I've can't eat. With every moment I see and feel and she doesn't I _hate_ myself. And I..." his voice trails off.

"Don't hate yourself," I said, licking his ear, Crowflight flinches again, "Never hate yourself, you'll just bring more hate into this world. And we all know that there's enough of that."

"But why don't you hate me, Heir Snowfall?" Heir Crowflight whispered, "I took the life of one of your comrades. I _killed_ one of your friends."

"I don't hate you," I say, and in truth, I don't, "I didn't like what you did when I first heard it, but now I have to forgive you. You've suffered too much, Heir Crowflight. You feel the pain of killing someone with every breath you take. You regret and you believe you should never be given peace."

"I shouldn't," Crowflight says stubbornly, and I let out a small purr of amusement.

"Her name was Robinheart," I said, licking his ear again. He does not flinch as much this time, "She was one of my best friends. She hated fighting. She believed that this war would someday come to an end; she believed that everyone deserved peace when they died. She would believe you deserve peace as well."

"Are… are you sure?" the black tom whispers weakly, and I nod; he closes his eyes again and lets out a long sigh.

"Do you still see her?" I whisper back to him. I feel his breath coming slower and slower, I can hear the heart in his chest slowing.

"Yes," he breathes, "But now… she's telling me 'I forgive you'." Tears stream out of his closed eyes then, "She forgives me." He opens his eyes again, this time looking strait into my own dark blue eyes. The glow in them is beginning to fade, but he is smiling.

"Thank you, Heir Snowfall," he whispered, "Thank you." He closes his eyes again, going limp in my paws. Foxclaw draws near, I know he had not heard a word of our conversation, and quickly sniffs up and down his body.

"He's dying," he says, "It will take him a long time to pass. Perhaps by sundown."

"Let the time pass," I say, not turning away from his limp form, "He needs to be comforted in his final hours."

So he does. It takes Heir Crowflight longer then expected to die. He rests in my paws, hardly breathing, hardly alive. The sun sets and he still hasn't died. Foxclaw tries to get me to leave him but I refused to, I want to be with him when he dies. By moonhigh he is beginning to shake, and I hesitantly press my nose into his neck. With a final rattling breath Heir Crowflight passes away from this life, leaving to hunt in the stars.

Foxclaw manages to get me to my paws, and as we turn to leave we hear a crackle on the opposite side of the back. Foxclaw tenses, stepping stiffly between the other territory and I, and we both watch as two dark shapes slip out of the shadows, golden eyes fixed on us. Foxclaw lets out a hiss and they back away, though do not leave.

I turn my eyes to Crowflights body; I know that they are here for it, and turn, heading back to the camp. Foxclaw glances, deciding between fighting the invaders and following me, and chooses the later. As we slip into the reeds I hear paws splash in the stream followed by an 'oh no' and a sob.

Foxclaw takes the lead now, leading me back to the camp. We pass through the center of camp, where my father, Eaglestar, gives a gentle 'hello' and goes back to organizing the patrol for the night. Foxclaw leaves me there, and I drag myself back to my den, which is separate from the other warrior dens.

I used to share the den in the tangle of willow roots with another, my brother Streamheart, but he had died two moons ago, hunting down the ShadowClan Heir who had the worst reputation – Ebonyclaw.

I collapse into my nest, and before I know it, I am asleep, and I dream.

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

"_Why have you come here?" a voice in the darkness says. I feel my heart flutter, I recognize it at once. But I know she is not talking to me. The darkness thins, and I can make out the shape of two cats, one sitting on a rock, the other looked as if he had just walked into the clearing._

"_Why have you come here?" the she-cat on the rock asks again, she is licking her one white paw, contrasting her darker ginger-brown fur._

"_I'm dead," meowed the other cat, whose bright golden eyes and black fur I remembered from the day – Heir Crowflight had passed into StarClan peacefully, "I thought it would be right to find you."_

"_It would not have been wrong if you did not find me," Robinheart meowed, putting her paw down, "In death, there is no right and wrong."_

"_But there is regret," Crowflight said smoothly, "Regret of things you did in your life. Things you wish you had done. Things you wish you hadn't done."_

"_You would know all about those, now wouldn't you?" Robinheart giggled. Crowflight took a step towards her._

"_I had to say it again," he said, "I had to make sure. I'm sorry for what I've done to you. What I did to you. I wish with all my heart that I hadn't. But I did."_

"_It is alright," Robinheart meowed, jumping down from the rock and standing before Crowflight, to Crowflight and my own surprise, she leaned forward and gave a gentle lick to the black toms face. She spun around, "I forgive you."_

"_Thank you," whispered Crowflight, lowering his head and closing his eyes, "Thank you so much."_

"_Hush," Robinheart hissed softly, and both cats froze. A smile played over my dead friends face, "Do you smell that?"_

_Crowflight sniffed the air and smiled as well, "Rabbit," he whispered. And both cats took off into the forest, vanishing from my sight._

"_It is time for you to go now, Snowfall," a voice whispered behind me. Again I felt my heart leap, but I was already pulling away from the dream, I whirled around, desperate to find the owner of the voice, but he was gone, and I was left in the darkness._

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

I knew something was going on the next morning as soon as I had woken up. The clan was buzzing. I slipped outside and they were in tight little groups, whispering hushed words to each other. Foxclaw was pacing outside of my fathers den, and as soon as he spotted me he bounded over.

"Come, quickly," he breathed, giving me a sharp nudge to the leaders den. Glancing at him once in confusion I did as I was told, hurrying to the fallen log and the badger set beneath. It was cool and dark underground, dried leaves piled up to make a comfy next. I saw the remnants of a rabbit my father had probably eaten the night before, and the pale golden leader himself sitting upright and tall in his nest, green eyes fixed on the shadows in one of the corners.

"Heir Snowfall," Foxclaw flicked his tail to a lean figure in the shadows, "This is Heir Nightwind, youngest daughter of Drystar."

And from the shadows, four golden eyes opened. Golden eyes that glowed like small suns.

Unlike me, Heir Nightwind had probably been taught to fight. Father forbade me, believing that he was protecting his daughter, especially after Streamheart had died. She was black-pelted like Crowflight, and looked quick and dangerous. Her body was long and elegant, with a small scar on one of her legs. Beside her I guessed was her guard, a big, broad-shouldered black-and-white tabby tom, his eyes were narrowed, as if he didn't like the idea of Nightwind being in our presence.

"Greetings, Heir Snowfall," Heir Nightwind meowed slowly, dropping a small white flower from her mouth, "I am here to talk of peace."

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

**Flower poured half of her soul into this chapter (the other half, of course, was poured into the third chapter of Everlasting Darkness) so review! Or, unlike Crowflight, I won't pass on peacefully!!**

**Review!**

**Review!**

**Review!**

**Did i mention REVIEW?**

**Please review...**

**-cries-**


	3. Chapter Two

**Ho de hum hum FUCK**

**I hate school. Well, no, I don't _hate_ school per se, I hate the amount of _time _it actually takes up during the day. Believe me, if I could've updated this sooner, I would've. Anyways, enjoy, read, REVIEW, and guess what'll happen next!**

**Title: Shadow Dance**

**Author: If Love Were Flowers**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

**Summary: Snowfall of RiverClan only wishes to end the war between RiverClan and ShadowClan, a war which had begun long before she was born. She is willing to give everything for peace. Willing to do anything. When a message from StarClan comes to both Clan Medicine Cats, a terrifying plan to end the fighting is revealed. She must tie herself and have the the kits of a cat she does not love, the dark deputy of ShadowClan, Ebonyclaw.**

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

"Peace?" Foxclaw asks, clearly confused. I do not blame him for being so. We are taught from the time we are kits that ShadowClan only lives to destroy and to fight. Many of our warriors grew up by this lesson. But I thought that perhaps they didn't live just to destroy and fight and that, perhaps, they could love and be kind as well.

"Peace," Nightwind repeats, her voice calm, "There is too much death in this world. Too much fighting. Too much hate. We hope you will recognize this as well and help us end this far-too-long war."

"Since when did ShadowClan talk of peace?" demanded Eaglestar, his voice burning. I flick my tail, catching the attention of my father and Nightwind.

"Father," I say after a brief moment, "Let's let her speak."

"Thank you, Heir Snowfall," Nightwind said before my father before he had the chance to talk, "I have heard many things about you. They say you talk of peace and of prosperity. Something my brother and I wish for dearly."

"Heir Ebonyclaw?" my father asked, "What does Heir Ebonyclaw want with peace? He is a terror of the battlefield; he killed my son and many of my warriors. He will never have peace. He will destroy it at the first chance."

"Heir Ebonyclaw wished to come," Nightwind surprised us all – I think even her guard wasn't expecting that, "Of course, my Father would not allow it. He said that you would rather put your teeth in his throat then let him speak the word. And do you know what he said?" her golden eyes sparkled.

"'Then let them, if they will finally have the vengeance they desire to end this foolish killing.'"

Silence held the den. I gulped, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Eyes turned to me. A felt a tail tip brush past my own, and relaxed slightly knowing that Foxclaw was there to support me.

"We must meet with Drystar and Heir Ebonyclaw," I said finally, "We must stop this war."

"Are you siding with those who killed your brother?" my father demanded, a sudden flare of anger startling me, "He would've wanted you to rise up and destroy ShadowClan! He would've wanted you to avenge his death!"

"But that is not what is _right_, Father," I say, desperation creeping into my voice. I struggle to hide it, "Streamheart was a brave and valiant warrior. His purpose to live was to protect his Clan and in the end, he died for it. I cannot sit by and watch another warrior die because of this foolish fighting. We must have peace."

"How can we trust them?" Eaglestar demanded, "ShadowClan will not change. They are hunters. They are killers. They live for the battle and the passions they draw from it. They cannot go a single moon without a fighting. They are nothing but a stain in the forest that we must wash away."

"You are calling us killers who cannot go a moon with battle?" Nightwind demanded, "For the last three moons we have tried to keep out of your way. We have tried to calm the nerves between both clans. But you launched those three attacks, Eaglestar, and you know that very well."

"Because you were going to attack!" Eaglestar snarled back, "You were marking your scents closer and closer to our side of the border. You were trying to move in to our territory!"

"We were trying to keep your warriors out of ours!" Nightwind's guard growled, his tail thrashing, "RiverClan has been swimming in the lake too much - their brains have floated away in the currents!"

"How _dare _you!" And Eaglestar lunged at the guard.

Before Nightwind's guard could attack she slipped between the two, using her lean body as a shield to the blows between the two warriors. Her guard backed away after a moment, but my father ignored her, lunging over her smaller frame to the black-and-white tom.

My paws suddenly lifted beneath me, and my body surged. A moment later I felt a sting as claws raked by shoulders. I staggered away, right into Nightwind's flank, blood dripping from a wound in my shoulder. The den went silent and my father pulled away, startled.

Nightwind spun around to my injured side, quickly tripping my paws beneath me and forcing me to the ground. I tensed, but realized that she was only looking at my wound. With a quick examination and lick she pulled away, the bleeding already stopped.

"Th-thank you," I stuttered as Nightwind pulled back, sitting down next to her guard. Foxclaw hurried to my side, quickly nosing me to my feet. My fur tingled where he touched me and my heart fluttered, but I pushed it away quickly, sitting down and keeping my weight off of my injured shoulder.

"Snowfall you-"

All eyes now turned to my father who was backing away, his green eyes as large and as round as fish eyes. Unblinking and shocked. My blood was on his claws alongside that of Nightwind, and he looked down to his paws.

"This will end," I said softly, "I will not tolerate any more fighting."

"I believe we have stayed a moment too long," Nightwind ut in smoothly then, flicking her tail to her guard and giving him a harsh glare, "We shall leave. But if you ever wish to contact us again, bring a white flower to a border patrol."

Foxclaw gave a brief nod, then, with a small glance at me, led the two ShadowClan cats out of the den. I was left alone in the darkness with my father.

"Why?" he said finally, breaking the awkward silence between us, "You never involved yourself before… Why now?"

"It was Heir Crowflight," I whispered back, I saw his ear twitch but he said nothing, "Father, he was an apprentice forced to be a warrior far too early. He was forced to kill when he wished for nothing but the fighting to end."

"He killed Robinheart," The father countered, his voice becoming harsher, "Robinheart was you best friend, one of the greatest hunters in the Clan-"

"I hated him too!" I cried back, "Father, I hated what Heir Crowflight did to Robinheart, but if you had been there, if you had held his head in your paws and listened to his crying. He was killing himself inside; he hated himself for everything he had done in his life. He felt such regret he could no longer eat or sleep and was forced by guilt to banish himself from his own sanity."

"He was a _ShadowClan murderer_," Eaglestar snarled, getting back to his paws, "If ShadowClan has weaved such thoughts into that addled brain of yours you will only lead this clan to its death!"

"_You_ are leading this Clan to its death!" I shot back, "You send warriors into battle and they _never come home_. You're killing them, you're the murderer!"

"They die in service to their Clan, in service to me! They will be honored beyond belief when they do. To die in the front lines is any warriors dream!"

"Not for those who don't want to die! You're just making such a mess out of this! ShadowClan takes one pawsteps over the border and you attack their next patrol! It's ridiculous!"

"We must act strong."

"No, we have to _be_ strong!" I cried, I felt my eyes burning, I shook my head in desperation, "Father, there's so much more to life then just revenge!"

"We can live for the rest once ShadowClan is gone," My father hissed, "Get out of my den, and don't come back until you've knocked some sense into that empty head of yours!"

I turned and left then. I couldn't be in my father's presence any longer. It was too painful. With a small sob I turned to a shaded fern corner near my den and collapsed under it. Before I could stop myself I was asleep.

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

"_Why would she do that?" a voice whispered. It was Crowflight; he was crouched over a small silver puddle, his yellow eyes wide and glowing more then ever._

"_You already know the answer to that," Robinheart's voice bubbled from nearby. _

"_Why would… She… She protected my sister…"_

"_What did you think she would do?" came Robinheart's playful mew again. I spotted her overhead, lounging on a low branch directly over the puddle, her green eyes glittering._

"_I didn't think she would do anything," Crowflight admitted, not taking his eyes off of the pool._

"_Did you expect her to hold your head in her paws and comfort you in your dying breaths?"_

"_N-no…" The young tom admitted, raising his eyes to Robinheart._

"_Did you expect her to whisper sweet words to sew your broken heart back together?"_

"_No, but… It shouldn't have happen. It wasn't supposed happen. It's not… It's not done." He lowered his eyes again, "RiverClan cats do not comfort those in their last moments. They just don't'… right?"_

"_You already know the answer to that."_

"_We were taught…" Crowflights voice trailed off, "What Snowfall said to me while I was dying was honest, she wasn't lying, she wasn't stretching the truth, she was telling the truth. But RiverClan… they don't have souls or hearts. They're as emotionless as dead leaves. That's what we were taught at least."_

_Robinheart leapt down from the grass, her paws making little sound on the grass as she landed next to Crowflight. Her green eyes were fixed on the silver puddle, a sad look clouding the green orbs._

"_It is true that RiverClan hides their emotions," she meowed, "We may pretend to think one thing but actually think another. But we have souls. We have hearts. We can feel hate and sorrow and love. We only choose to not show it. When Snowfall held you while you died she broke down those walls surrounding her and released her sorrow into the world. The sorrow she's felt ever since the reality of this war sunk in. You may not believe it but…" she turned to Crowflight, her eyes sparkling now._

"_But it's the truth, even if it didn't happen." _

_She spun around his now, splashing her paws in the silver puddle and scattering silver droplets across the grass. Crowflight looked up to her, his golden eyes now sad._

"_Then did other things happen?" he asked, "Did things happen that we didn't know about? What if ShadowClan really did start the war inside of how we were taught? Or what if… what if…"_

"_What if what?" Robinheart laughed, "What happen has happened, and it happened because we chose to have it happen."_

"_We chose to have it happen?" Crowflight asked, anger creeping into his voice, "I didn't choose to kill you! I was… I was…"_

"_You killed me," Robinheart meowed gently, "And you did because you chose to."_

"_And that was-"_

"_There's no 'wrong' in death," Robinheart said quickly, cutting him off, "There is no 'right' either. There never is a right and wrong, really. I guess you could just call it a popular opinion."_

_Crowflight fixed his eyes on Robinheart as she began to dab her paws in the silver pool again, the curiosity and playfulness of a kit overtaking her. _

"_How can you always be so… lighthearted?"_

"_You already know the answer to that."_

"_Robinheart do you really-"_

"_Hush," a tail flicked forward, gently pressing against Crowflight's muzzle. _

"_You_ _already know the answer to that."_

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

"ShadowClan invasion! Foxclaw, get my flank!"

"Alright, Eaglestar, let's go!"

I scrambled to my paws, jerked away from my dreams by hisses and snarls. But my fear quickly subsided as I spotted two of the eldest kits in the Clan, Shimmerkit and Ravenkit, roll around the center of the camp wrestling large balls of dirty moss.

I do not relax though, I watch as my father passes out of his den and gives an approving nod to the two kits in the center of camp. I look back to the little gray-and-black kits, watching as Ravenkit shredded his moss to bits.

"Take _that_ you stupid ShadowClan warrior!" he boasted, flicking his tail and tossing up dust behind him.

"Dirty bits of foxdung and crowfood!" Shimmerkit squealed as she sent her ball of moss flying, "Get out of this forest and leave us alone!"

"You don't deserve to be even called cats!" Ravenkit declared, pouncing on the moss his sister has thrown. The two kits continued to scuffle around the center of the camp, their mother Shinepelt keeping a close eye on them.

I felt a shiver run through my spine every time the kits let out a harsh remark or bit into the moss scraps. I turned away from the scene; I cannot bear to look any longer. My paws bring me to the entrance of the camp where Foxclaw is sitting, guarding. He looks up to me with his bright, clear green eyes and gives a small, comforting smile.

"I need your help," I say quietly so that only he and I can hear, "I need you to help me find white flowers."

**.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.**

**Blah blah blah REVIEW blah blah blah REVIEW blah blah blah REVIEW**

**NoOoOoOoW...**

**review :3**


End file.
